Playhouse Event Schedule
Our Leading Lady
By Charles Busch
7:30 p.m., Sept. 24–25, Oct. 1–2, 2010
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, Sept. 26
This quirky comedy, set in Washington, D.C., in 1865, revolves around the British-born stage actress Laura Keene whose wacky company is performing at Ford’s Theatre the night Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth. Even though this sounds sad, the backstage mishaps take focus over the national tragedy, giving the old theatre maxim, “The show must go on!,” a truly different dimension. Just picture the Civil War meets Waiting for Guffman!
All My Sons
By Arthur Miller
7:30 p.m., Oct. 22–23, 29–30, 2010
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, Oct. 24
One of the greatest American dramas! This impressive play received the Drama Critics Award and helped to establish Arthur Miller among the first post-war playwrights. The Keller family is the center of this story that focuses on the father, Joe Keller, and the shop he ran to produce airplane parts during World War II . To tell much more about the plot of this play would destroy the electrifying conclusion, but an evening spent witnessing an Arthur Miller play is always a gift to any theatre-goer.
Meet Me in St. Louis
Songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane; Book by Hugh Wheeler
7:30 p.m., Dec. 3–4, 8–11, 2010
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, Dec. 5
This rare treasure in the musical theatre world is based on the heartwarming movie. Join the Smith family at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, and see how their love and respect for each other is revealed through the most beautiful of music. Memorable musical numbers include “The Boy Next Door,” “The Trolley Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and that’s just for starters! What a wonderful treat for the Columbia community this holiday season!
Sense and Sensibility
Adapted by Jon Jory
7:30 p.m., Feb. 11–12, 18–19, 2011
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, Feb. 13
This is Jane Austen at her most delightful! If you like PRI DE AN D PRE JUDICE, you will truly love this gem. Two sisters are totally captivated by two very different gentlemen. Their entanglements make for a joyous adventure into romance. Of course, where there is love, there is heartbreak, but these charming ladies learn to manage the men in their lives. Even Shakespeare couldn’t have written a better all’s well that ends well. It’s a romantic jaunt that is perfect for a February evening at the theatre.
The Clean House
By Sarah Ruhl
7:30 p.m., March 18–19, 24–25, 2011
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, March 20
(Performed at the Warehouse Theatre)
This extraordinary new play by an exciting fresh voice in American drama was a Pulitzer Prize runner-up. It takes place in what the author describes as “metaphysical Connecticut.” The action centers around the home of a married couple, who are both doctors, and Matilde, their Brazilian housekeeper. Without entirely giving away the plot, the action of this play gives new meaning to the phrase, “I almost died laughing.” The NY Daily News simply said of Ruhl’s play, “Casts a spell that had me hooked.”
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Book by Richard Henry Morris; Music by Jeanine Tesori; New lyrics by Dick Scanlan
7:30 p.m., April 29–30, May 4–6, 2011
2 p.m. Sunday matinee, May 1
Zany, high-spirited and a musical romp are all descriptions of the amazing closing musical produced by the Stephens College School of Performing Arts. It takes place in New York City in 1922 and tells the story of young Millie Dillmount. The city is full of intrigue and jazz, and the audience is treated to an evening of rousing songs and bright dance numbers. People of all ages should pack up their troubles and come to the Macklanburg for a spring celebration as a thoroughly modern Millie charms us all.
